If you are in search of one of the ugliest creatures on the face of this planet, welcome to Madagascar, where lives the weirdo – Aye-Aye! Yes, that’s the name of the animal we are about to talk of and trust us, this creature is weird and ugly, really weird and ugly! You don’t trust us? Fine! Let us learn 30 Aye-Aye facts and we are sure that when you are done reading, you will need to few minutes of loneliness to grasp the degree of oddity you will encounter.

But, before we start…

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Primates

Family

Daubentoniidae

Genus

Daubentonia

Scientific Name

Daubentonia madagascariensis

Common Name

Aye-Aye

Dietary habits

Omnivore

Preys on

Fruits, larvae, insects

Predators

Birds of prey, fossa and humans

Group Behavior

Solitary animal

Lifestyle

Nocturnal

Top Speed

20 miles per hour or 32 kilometers per hour

Weight

4 lbs. to 6 lbs. or, 2 kilos to 2.7 kilos

Size (length)

12 inches to 15 inches or 30 centimeters to 40 centimeters

Skin type

Furry

Color

Dark Brown or Black

Sexual Maturity Age

2 years to 3 years

Life Span

10 years to 23 years

Gestation Period

170 days

Litter Size

1

Weaning Age

7 years

Population Size (Estimated)

1,000 to 10,000

Conservation Status

Endangered

Threats

Habitat loss and hunting

Distinctive Features

Middle finger is elongated and has hooked claws. The finger can move independently.

Let’s start…

Interesting Aye-Aye Facts: 1-5

1. Aye-Aye is a primate and lives only and only in Madagascar, especially in north-eastern parts.

2. The appearance of Aye-Aye is very scary and people actually believe that this animal actually predicts death.

3. Despite the fact that this animal doesn’t really look like primate, it is actually a relative of apes, chimpanzees and humans.

4. It is actually a lemur species which lives in Madagascar’s deciduous forests and tropical rainforests.

5. The altitude at which they are usually found is 700 meters.

Interesting Aye-Aye Facts: 6-10

6. Because people think that the Aye-Aye predicts death, they hunt and kill this animal. Also, people hold the belief that Aye-Aye is a crop pest, which is yet another reason why they hunt and kill this creature.

7. Loss of habitat (decline in forests) is yet another reason why Aye-Aye population is gradually decreasing and now it is considered as endangered species.

8. This animal is very small and reaches a maximum length of 17 inches. The minimum length is 14 inches. This length is measured excluding its tail.

9. The tail of the animal is way longer than its body. The tail alone measures 24 inches.

10. The creature has large eyes of golden color, which glow in the dark.

Interesting Aye-Aye Facts: 11-15

11. The body of this animal is covered with deep brown or black hair and a few white hairs can be seen here and there on the body.

12. Its ears are very large and naked and it is capable of acute hearing.

13. Aye-Aye, when first discovered, was actually believed to be rodent. Some scientists actually thought it to be a giant squirrel. However, it was later found that it was actually a lemur.

14. Despite the fact that Aye-Aye is a lemur, it is one really ugly animal with combined features of many other animals. The claws of this primate are like that of a sloth. Its incisors are like that of a rodent. Its body is like that of a monkey and its face looks like a weasel.

15. Aye-Aye barely comes down from trees. It builds several nests in its territory using leaves and twigs and frequently keeps changing nests in order to escape from predators.

Interesting Aye-Aye Facts: 16-20

16. Aye-Aye never follows anything called mating season. It mates anytime during the whole year.

17. Female Aye-Ayes have persistent oogenesis. This means that they are capable of reproducing throughout their entire lifetime, that is, until they die.

18. When the females are ready for mating, they produce high-pitched calls. These mating calls make the males aggressive as they fight over mating rights.

19. Female Aye-Ayes are polyandrous. In simple language, during the breeding period, they will mate with not just one male but with multiple males.